Light of the Moon, Abyss of the Heavens
by Seoinage
Summary: Half a year after ascending the throne of Tai, rebellions break out in the Province of Bun. The Emperor of Tai marches forth, never to be heard from again. A continuation. Gyousou, Taiki, various characters. Anime & Novels. ON HIATUS.
1. A Pillow of Dreams

**Chapter Title:** A Pillow of Dreams  
**Series Title:** Light of the Moon, Abyss of the Heavens  
**Author:** Seoinage  
**Fandom:** Juuni Kokki  
**Disclaimer:** ©1991 Ono Fuyumi, Kodansha, and various companies who bought rights to it.

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**Light of the Moon, Abyss of the Heavens**  
(月の光、天の淵)

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PROLOGUE

_A Pillow of Dreams_

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Another lantern extinguishes. Slowly, the room darkens with his steady progression, until a lone candle guides the rest of the way. The light transfers from his roughened hand to rest upon the nearby table.

The bed dips with his weight, and you, you look up at him with delighted eyes and a flowing mane of black. He notices the new nightgown; smiles fondly and hopes you are warmer for it.

You clasp your little hands together in a small plea, not noticing how your head tilts slightly to the side.

And those eyes of his, how fond and fierce and protective as they look at you. But you don't realize, because you are the same with him.

He speaks then, as he does every night. He speaks, and you listen. He asks, and you respond. Until finally, he knows how to begin, as he always begins.

He begins with, "Have you never heard of this tale, my Kouri…"

And then, that warm and patient voice would trail off. Without fail. Without mercy.

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Always, he woke then to a dry pillow. Though somehow, his heart stated otherwise.

And always, painfully always, silence shackled his memory and tossed the key away.

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**A/N:** My first foray into the Juuni Kokki world. I hope that I don't make a mess out of it. Written using the February 2006 Wuxia theme from the LiveJournal community "31days". 

Constructive comments and critiques welcomed.


	2. Unheard Lamentations: Fetter Me Softly

**Chapter Title:** Unheard Lamentations  
**Series Title:** Light of the Moon, Abyss of the Heavens  
**Author:** Seoinage  
**Fandom:** Juuni Kokki**  
Themes:** "Child found crying in the winter tree", "Lemongrass summer"  
**Disclaimer:** ©1991 Ono Fuyumi, Kodansha, and various companies who bought rights to it.

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**Light of the Moon, Abyss of the Heavens**  
(月の光、天の淵)

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CHAPTER 1

_Unheard Lamentations: Fetter Me Softly_

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"Gyousou-sama!" Sougen screamed, desperation supplementing the failing strength of his arms as he tried to clear a way towards his lord upon his suuguu. The enemy pressed in at all sides, jabbing and slashing at any openings he might let slip. As the length of the battle wore on, his strength slowly drained away and yet they still came in fresh waves. Already they had him isolated, as they did with the emperor of Tai.

Suddenly, another burning pain sliced across his back, lancing fire – wicked, dark, consuming – but he whirled around fluidly still, his own sword finding its target and sinking in. And then the blade in his hands came out to parry another with a harsh screech and clang, the crimson fluid spraying across them all in a metallic and suffocating waterfall.

Sougen's entire world existed in the next opponent rushing at him with their weapon at the ready, murderous fear in the eyes as they yelled their last. His hilt wrapping darkened and grew slicker by the moment, the ground sometimes much more malleable than winter ground should be. He ignored it all, tightening his grip as he swung, slashed, blocked, killed.

In the next span of time, a hole opened up and someone familiar slipped next to him, a second sword coming to play alongside. Though surprised, Sougen was glad for it. His own contingent of soldiers of the Zui Province Left Army, or what remained of them, were scattered all around. The slowly rising moon cast its pale beauty over the grim scene of ambush, so many engaged in their own survival, so many falling to their deaths.

_We're almost there_, his mind whispered encouragingly to him. _Gyousou-sama's almost in sight_, his eyes told him. And there was hope in his heart that they would make it out, if they could just get clear to the side of the emperor to ensure his safety. They'd done similar things together before, such as Gyousou creating miracles and them supporting him in the process.

He wanted to do so again.

He wanted to see the fruition of their new world.

So they continued, closing the distance as best they could. And then the next pain Sougen felt was that in his chest, ripping from his back to his front like fireworks being lit right inside and wrenching him open. In shock, he dropped his sword, the heavy thud subsumed by the roar in his ears. One hand shakily rose; in time to catch the first drop of his own blood as it pooled and ran along the blade plunged straight through his chest. He convulsed, knees giving way as his head tipped back.

As he slid down, down into that rushing black abyss, the sight of the sharp and deadly tip of the blade was replace. Instead, he saw the sad face of the moon hiding behind winter-bare branches, its silent snow-cries falling to melt amongst the stars bound up in its inky steel tresses. As if Taiki…

_Taiho…Gyousou-sama…I…_

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The day Taiki had finally looked at him, really saw him, Gyousou had felt something break free inside of himself. Dark eyes once condemning now shone with ever-growing trust. Such a young kirin, untried in the ways of the world that would have him as its sign of hope. But with such heart to worry, alone, for so long over the issue of whether he had rightly chosen an emperor for Tai.

Truly, a magnificent kirin.

No longer did Gyousou feel like he had stolen a precious treasure from the Taiki. Nor did he feel like the night when a cape-wrapped kirin had sworn fealty to him had only been a cruel dream. A joke exacted in retaliation to his own ego. A cruelty played out against him for expressing his plans to abandon Tai because he thought himself not chosen. But truly, the experience had been most harsh upon the small kirin.

Thanks to the intervention of Keiki, Enki, and the emperor of En two weeks before, he and Taiki have started over again.

"Your Majesty, your opinion upon this please." The ministers waited upon him from their places below him with expectant faces.

Looking back at them, Gyousou saw the ones whose help would be essential to building a stronger country. Already, the plans were taking shape in his mind. Then he thought, _I hope that Kouri will like the new dish tonight at dinner.._

He corrected the slightest slouch in his posture as he responded, all business. "This is what I foresee…"

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His suuguu was down, he himself thrown clear of the heavy mass only to fall amongst those aiming for his downfall. Instantly he was up on his feet, sword at the ready. Not wanting to slight him with their inattention, his opponents came at him at once like gracious hosts. They knew better.

So did he.

He held them off even as they slowly isolated him further. Whoever had planned this had planned it well. Still, there had been miscalculations, or the two sides would still not be fighting. The frozen afternoon had slid into an even chillier evening. Now, the moon held court. His own breath steamed, but he felt not the cold.

Instead, he felt the weight of his own miscalculations. Heard the cries of his men dying around him. Smelled the iron of the weapons dipped in blood. Saw how they entrapped them in this mountain path. Tasted the bitterness of betrayal when Sougen fell. Thought about Tai's future and the safety of its taiho.

When the trap first sprang close he fought. When they brought his suuguu down he fought. When his arms could swing no longer, he still fought.

_Fight. Fight._ His mind urged. _Survive!_

And so even when they finally brought him down, his mind still fought. _Kouri…_

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_"Gyousou-sama, what is this?" Wonder tickled his voice.  
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_"It's lemongrass, Kouri. Do you like it?"_

_"__Oh yes!" Taiki beamed. " Thank you."  
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___Smiling slightly, Gyousou filled the kirin's plate back up. "I'm glad."_

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___Thus did the summer gently passed between them._

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_Constructive comments and critiques welcomed._


	3. Descending Edge: Winter Moon

**Chapter Title:** Descending Edge  
**Series Title:** Light of the Moon, Abyss of the Heavens  
**Author:** Seoinage  
**Fandom:** Juuni Kokki  
**Themes:** "Drowned fields", "Midnight market"  
**Disclaimer:** ©1991 Ono Fuyumi, Kodansha, and various companies who bought rights to it

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**Light of the Moon, Abyss of the Heavens**  
(月の光、天の淵)

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CHAPTER 2

_Descending Edge: Winter Moon_

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Gyousou clearly remembered the time he first held a sword. Oh, not a metal one, not one of those. He had been four at the time and his father still needed to look out for him. So a miniature wooden one had been handed over carefully, with respect. Even such a toy can be deadly depending upon the one wielding it.

The clear light filtering down from the early morning sun did not give off much heat. Even though it was late spring, they also lived in Tai. As one of the northernmost countries, people liked to say that the snow hated making room for Tai's human inhabitants since it had been there first. Since the snow did what it wanted, the people learned to adjust to it instead. Was that not the way of the world?

Years later, his father entrusted him with his first true blade. It may have been battered, with the wrappings around the hilt worn, but his nevertheless and sharp. By then, he had learned to properly take care of a sword. He had also learned the proper ways of using one through much sweat and effort. At the end of everyday, he went to sleep bone-tired. Every morning he woke up eager to discover more.

Eager would not be the word to describe how he felt now upon waking.

With a gritted moan held low in his throat to muffle the sound as much as he could, Gyousou gingerly opened his eyes. Squinting, more against the pain than the light…or lack thereof, he remained in his sideways prone position for a moment longer. Strands of his white hair and clumps of grit matted themselves against his face and neck in an uncomfortable way. A bath would not be remiss.

The dirt floor underneath him gave neither leeway nor warmth. Instead, it greedily sucked away his body heat and the steadily seeping wounds all over his body, especially from the one in his upper thigh where a broken spear still imbedded itself. He shuddered, the stomach-lurching pain making his head swim. Hands and feet bound as they were made it difficult to maneuver even if he had the strength to do so. Gyousou doubted that his wounded leg could do much without treatment. Even then, there may be difficulty.

He felt gratitude that Taiki could not see him like this.

But one thing at a time. Right now, he needed to take stock of the situation.

Though his condition could be vastly improved upon, death would not be meeting his acquaintance just yet. As for his location, perhaps a tent of some kind as the sharp winter wind easily found its way through slits of the enclosure whose walls shook with each gust.

A flare of light opposite him abruptly entered, making him want to turn his head away, to close his eyelids. Gyousou did none of those things; he chose instead to stare with his red eyes unblinkingly at the intruder.

Or rather, intruders.

"Ever the emperor even under such conditions, Gyousou-sama." The man not holding the torch commented politely. "It seems that you're still carrying a part of the battlefield with you. Let's take care of it."

He made a shadowy movement with his hand and three others came in, all quite burly and clearly soldiers. They came upon him – _thud thud thud_ – went the ground. One held down his shoulders. The second held down his legs. The third grasped the head of the spear in a single-handed grip, bracing himself against the wounded leg. Their hands were like ice. They did not look at him.

Gyousou kept his narrowing gaze fastened on the one speaker. Though the muscles in the cheek pressed against the floor twitched, and he gritted his teeth against what was to come, no one would bear witness to it. He could hear the wind outside scouring the frozen landscape. He envisioned the winter moon high up overhead.

The soldier yanked the spear shaft through unmercifully with one mighty pull. The rough wood scraped raw flesh and forced the ragged wound open even more.

Gyousou's entire body tightened in reaction as a red haze obscured his vision. However, he kept his eyes on his target, his mouth closed. He still needed to understand more behind this situation, though many things were clearer with that man's presence.

The ground continued drinking the blood that freely poured from the hole in his thigh. The three soldiers retreated and melted back out into the night.

"You should not have been made emperor. Because of the foolish Taiho's mistake, such a thing must come to pass in order to correct it." A feverish light like that of the blaze of the torch gleamed in the man's eyes. "Because of that Taiho, we have come to this. You have him to blame. You have yourself to blame."

"You believe that overturning the Heavens' will is the true path then?"

An almost snarl curled the man's upper lip. "Heaven's will? You believe that what you are doing is that? Perhaps there are those who will believe in such fairytales, but your actions were just that, your own actions. Heaven had nothing to do with your insanity."

The shadow of the man approached then. Gyousou could see the shining edge of a blade gripped by the figure.

"Ah, this? It's nothing as bad as you might think." He laughed a cheerless laugh, sharp in its brevity. "Or maybe worse."

In a fluid movement, the man crouched down next to the emperor's head and roughly grabbed the bound hair. Gyousou's neck jerked at the awkward angle, jugular exposed. _Is this how it ends?_

With one slice, the blade cut through the mess of a ponytail, the white locks falling, abandoned, upon the floor.

"I will take care of this Heaven of yours. And should you suddenly die one day for no apparent reason, you'll know what happened to that kirin you treasure." Asen looked at him mirthlessly. "You just won't know when."

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Constructive comments and critiques welcomed. :) 


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